Long story short, I do not know. I haven’t raced triathlon since Augusta in 2017, and I really feel like I should have taken a year without racing after Louisville, but I felt this need to keep improving, but other parts of my life needed attention too. I know one thing. I am not racing in 2019. What I really want to talk about is when it is the right time to race for me.

I Enjoy RacingI feel like after Louisville in 2016, I didn’t enjoy racing as much. I had begun to focus on time, because I had achieved all of my distance goals. Times are the same thing that got me away from swimming after high school, so I didn’t want to feel like I was racing the clock so much. Right now, I am focusing on improving as an athlete by improving my hill climbing on the bike and hill running skills, not getting ready for any distance.

I am Meeting Responsibilities in My LifeI am currently in school for accounting, so I know in my future I will not be racing long distance in the spring, more likely just building a steady base until I can pick up after busy season. I also have a husband at home that I care a lot about and need to spend time with him. I think everyone needs to keep in mind the

I am Enjoying TrainingDoing session after session that is planned started to get a little difficult for me, especially as I began to enjoy riding outside more often. I got tired of structuring trainer rides when I could just as easily jump on my bike after work to go ride with other people. Right now, I am focusing on just doing workouts that feel good and are productive, while also enjoying things like group riding.

I have Time to TrainSimilar to meeting responsibilities, having time is important as well. Right now, I just have not had the time to swim as much as I like, so I know I need to find that time before beginning to train more. It is just like if I am going to do another full,I know I need to be prepared to do some really long rides on the weekend.

I want to RaceThis is the most important. Right now, I want to enjoy training, and racing is not a priority, but the urge to race more is creeping up slowly as I begin to look at more races for next year. I don’t feel any responsibility to be racing, just an urge that I want to go out and perform at my best again.

I like riding bikes, and I like riding new bikes. This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a demo Allied Alfa Allroad for a spin up the first hill on the Natchez Trace Parkway to see how it handled. You can find more information about Allied here. All of their bikes are made (frames and all, not just assembly), in the United States, and every bike is made to order. This means you have the options of crank length, gearing, components, and wheels you get only at a premium from other brands.

I honestly thought I wouldn’t get a chance to ride on Saturday, because it had been raining off and on, but they got the bikes out and ready to go so we could test them out. My biggest hesitation with the Allied was the sizing. They are an aggressive geometry (compared to the Trek H1 geometry), and I felt like I was somewhat in between sizes. This hesitation comes from testing an Orbea 51cm frame, which felt too long to me, and I felt like I lacked control. I almost requested the 49, but because I find a 52 works in most other brands (although my Madone is a 50), I went with the 52.

The demo bike was spec’d with Shimano Ultegra components and hydraulic brakes. For the demo they had a 42 cm bar, 172.5 mm crank and 52-36 chainrings, with what I am pretty sure was an 11-28 cassette. I mention this, because the first thing I noticed, aside from being pretty comfortable position wise, was the crank length. I have only ever ridden 170 mm cranks, so my quads were killing me with the 172.5 mm.

Further into the ride I noticed a few more things. First, it climbs really well, seated and standing. I’ve also ridden a Trek Emonda SL 8, and I just felt more comfortable on the climb on the Allied. The only problem climbing was that I normally run a compact crank.

The other big difference I noticed was the sprinting capabilities of this bike. Some of the stability I found in my final standing sprint may have been the wider bar (something coming on all of my future bikes), but I found the Allied easier to move under me when standing, which has been a struggle on both my Madone and my Domane. In addition to that stability on a sprint, the weight of the bike (lighter than anything else I’ve ridden), also affected the speed I took off at from a stop, furthering my enjoyment of this bike.

My overall decision on this bike is that I will be buying one in December when I have graduated, and maybe even in the same bubblegum pink as the demo.

Problem 1

TRP brakes. I’m used to Shimano, where the hose is not attached at the shifter to make for easy installation on an internally routed frame. I ended up having to cut and bleed both anyway, but it made the routing more complicated than it needed to be, aside from the rear chainstay where Trek has made it as simple as possible where the frame forms a tube for the hose to run through.

Problem 2

I had to warranty my rear brake after installing it and trying to bleed it when we found out the bolt was over tightened, meaning I could not loosen it to bleed the brake. TRP was very good about it though and promptly shipped a new caliper, and I am able to cannibalize the first one for spare parts. Then I had to cut the hose again, but it was not as much of a problem this time and the bleed got done.

Problem 3

Not necessarily a real problem, but I hate wrapping bar tape.

Overall, this build finished up well, although I do not like bleeding TRP brakes. The brake levers actually have holes in them, so they look pretty cool in photos, and the bike is fun to ride with perfect gearing. Learning the dropout system and setting up a singlespeed is a little new to me, but with the help of more experienced mechanics I got it all done.

My short answer to this question is that I do not plan to purchase another rim brake bike. I love my bikes, especially my Madone, but disc brakes would make the ride so much better. The problem I have with the brakes on my Madone is that there’s not enough stopping power. I have the same problem when I run carbon wheels on my triathlon bikes.

Reasons I Love Disc Brakes

More stopping power

Ability to modulate braking

Less maintenance

The 2-piece rotors look cool

Easier wheel swaps

Reasons I Waited

I hadn’t ever ridden them

Most bikes until this year were rim brake

People made them seem significantly heavier

There is a price difference

I wasn’t in the market for a new bike

More Explanation

My first disc brake experiences were limited to test rides, so I didn’t know too much about the difference in feel until working on bikes with disc brakes and eventually riding a Trek Emonda Disc for a week. I knew by that point the advantages of being able to modulate the braking power and the pads moving in as they wore down from working on them, but I didn’t realize the difference in stopping power until I rode them.

Going forward, I also like not having to swap brake pads if I swap wheels. If I plan to ride my tri bike outside this winter I will ride my carbon wheels, specifically because I don’t want to swap brake pads to ride my trainer wheels outside. My Domane though I can swap wheels with my husband’s Domane if I don’t want to take the carbon rims through the dirt and salt.

Overall, I see no true disadvantages to riding disc brakes on my road bikes and in the future my tri bike. I love my Madone, but a Madone SLR 7 Disc is on my wish list too.

There are so many reasons I want to ride my bike, and sometimes I don’t have the time to actually ride it when I want to. It can be a bad day, a need to train, or just an overwhelming need to go ride a bike. These are a few of my favorites I’ve run into in my life lately.

I cried over a sandwich - but to be honest it was a really bad sandwich and not what I ordered. I don’t know why exactly I cried over the sandwich, but I was having a rough morning, and the sandwich topped it off. I got home from work at 8:30 that night and got the trainer set-up and rode my bike, because I really needed to ride my bike.

I haven’t ridden my bike - and I just want to ride bikes all the time. I love my bikes, and I just want to ride them all the time. Unfortunately, school, work, and family can all get in the way of my opportunity to ride my bikes.

I haven’t ridden this exact bike - a personal problem. Not everyone has multiple bikes to choose from like me, but I know one person who has more than me, and he will ride one bike, go home, and then ride another bike, so all of the bikes get ridden. I wish I lived somewhere I could do this easily.

It’s 70 degrees out - in December. I remember one Christmas, the weather was so nice, I rode my bike from my parents’ house to my aunt’s house for Christmas dinner. People thought I was a little crazy, but I just thought it was nice to get out in the clear weather.

I built a new bike - yes another one. I love building bikes. It may be a little bit of an obsession I have, because I like having the newest things, but it is also fun for me. I love a project bike.

I bought my first bike without seeing it. It was a 2013 Trek Lexa C that was my favorite color, purple, with Claris components. I knew nothing about bikes, and I was so excited to have a real road bike and not a Walmart bike. Where I was in my life, this bike was perfect and the most exciting thing in my life. Now, if you are paying this price, you do want to put some time and effort into thinking about the decision more than I did.

Step 1

Know the categories of bikes. There are multiple categories including road, mountain, hybrid. In road bikes, I also include cyclocross, gravel, triathlon, and touring bikes. Mountain bikes can further be separated into cross country, enduro, and downhill. Hybrid bikes can be separated into fitness, comfort, and dual sport. There are other categories, but these are the most easily defined.

Determine what your goals are to know what category you fall into. I wanted to do triathlons, and nothing else, but I wasn’t good enough with handling to go with a triathlon bike. Your goals could be riding mountain bike trails and going out west to ride, which would need a full suspension mountain bike. You could want a bike to commute to work or the grocery store with a rack and panniers, which could be a road or a hybrid bike. Once you know wha you want to do, you can narrow down what category you fit in.

Step 2

Know what causes the variation in price of bikes. When looking at two bikes in the same category the things that set them apart are material, components, and suspension.

Frames come in a multitude of materials at a multitude of price points. Majority of bikes sold in bike shops are aluminum or carbon fiber, but you will also find steel and titanium bikes as well. Typically, carbon fiber is one of your lightest and can be your most expensive bike. You can still find very lightweight aluminum bikes as well, and they tend to be more budget friendly. Your frame material may be dictated by your budget.

Drivetrains are one of the most complicated parts of the bike to explain, so I am going to make it as simple as possible. More rear speeds is smoother shifting on all bikes, while whether you choose to use a front derailleur can be dictated by the type of bike you choose.

Most categories of road bikes have two front gears and anywhere between 8 and 11 in the rear. Cyclocross bikes and mountain bikes are where the single front chainring has become popular as we can run larger gear ranges in the back and it saves weight.

The other major part of drivetrain to consider on a first bike is the brakes. The most common options are rim brakes and disc brakes. Mountain, cyclocross, and gravel bikes are almost all coming with disc brakes currently. Disc brakes don’t wear down rims and they have more braking power than rim brakes. Road bikes and hybrid bikes still come with both options, so it comes down to if you will find value in the extra stopping power and ability to brake in more conditions. Disc brakes also come in hydraulic and cable operated models. The stopping power is the same, but as the pads wear down, the hydraulic brakes will move the pads in so you don’t lose and stopping power. They may need to be bled in a few years, but they do not require the same cable adjustments of a mechanical (cable) disc brake.

When combined with frame material, drivetrain will help to narrow down the options. You may also find a carbon bike with 11 speed components is out of your price range, but an aluminum with it is within your range.

Step 3

Find your size and test ride. I highly recommend talking to a professional in a bike shop for size. I am 5’5” and I ride a 52 cm Trek Domane, where my boss is 5’5 1/2” and rides a 50 cm, so size charts can only help so much. I also ride a 50 cm in a Trek Madone and a 49 in another brand, so the size on the bike only dictates an estimate.

I also recommend test riding any comparable bike to what you are intending to buy. A shop may not have the exact model, but they may have the same size in another model or another model with the same components. This will give you a feel for the position and a feel for the components, although it may not be the exact bike.

Step 4

Buy a bike and go ride. I also recommend certain accessories, which will be found in my next post.

This bike buying process should help you whether you are buying a hybrid to ride with thbike kids or a super aero triathlon bike to race at Kona.

My name is Alex, and I am a cyclist, triathlete, bicycle mechanic, swim coach, and accounting student. I write about my experiences working on bikes and the places I ride and train, while also working to manage being a full time accounting student. My hope is to share information that is both useful and entertaining for cyclists and triathletes through my blog, as well as my Youtube channel.